The administration of a struggling Queens high school resorted to cheating to get dozens of students to pass high-stakes exams — ordering teachers to be “extremely lenient” in grading, investigators found.

When the city Department of Education rescored 25 “passing” global-history Regents exams at Mathematics, Science Research and Technology Magnet HS, all but one were found to have deserved a failing score.

As a result of the regrading, scores on the tests fell by 7 to 35 points. They’re graded on a 100-point scale.

The probe by the DOE’s internal investigative unit found Assistant Principal Johnny Recio “should be held accountable for having instructed his subordinates to be ‘extremely lenient’ during the scoring.”

Despite the strong words, Recio was given just a letter of reprimand and ordered to attend training.

A former staffer at the Queens Village school said investigators failed to properly probe the potential involvement of its principal, José Cruz.

The principal, the ex-staffer said, had bent Recio’s ear just before Recio told teachers to go easy.

“Recio is not a decision maker. He does not do anything Principal Cruz doesn’t tell him to do,” the former educator said.

“For the DOE to only give Recio a slap on the wrist is a crime in itself.”

Asked about the 2011 case at the school yesterday, Recio said only that he was going to get Cruz. Instead, he called security to kick out a Post reporter.